Love Me Tonight Chapter 23: Sameer’s Naina

Anger… It was an emotion not new to Sameer Maheshwari. He had been angry several times before – at an young age when he had realized that his mother had left him alone in hostel; when he had known the real reason of his mother’s hatred for him; when he had been pushed to leave the only place he had felt at home because it was encroached upon by the Somani family; when Shaili had humiliated him; when Sakshi had dumped him… There wasn’t dearth of incidents that had stoked the fires of his anger. However, the anger he felt after listening to Naina’s past was like a constant burning ember that could erupt into wild flames anytime. Only the sheer determination of his mind was able to keep the anger contained, and the reason was lying in his arms. Trusting, delicate, yet so damn strong that she took his breath away – his wife – Naina Sameer Maheshwari.

 

It was 5am in the morning and he had barely been able to sleep. Every time he dozed off his mind conjured up the image of Naina gagged and bound, bloodied and bruised face, left alone in a dark room. He could now understand why Naina had screamed and had frozen with fear, that one time in her apartment when there had been a power cut. She had been so terrified she hadn’t even registered that she had been naked at that time. She had only felt relief when he had reached out to her. He also understood why just the thought of her family sparked panic attacks. When he had heard about the broken engagement, he had thought of some mishap, like maybe her fiancé had an affair she had gotten to know about, but never in his dreams could he have thought of the abuse she had suffered. Her distaste and discomfort when she had thought that he had used his money to get the information about her also made sense to him now; as did her distrust of the police in the situation they had witnessed in Park Street. Everyone she had trusted in to support and help her had turned on her… The man whom she had trusted to take care of her had abused her, the police had chosen to take bribes rather than provide justice, her family had chosen to hurt her all the more rather than standing by her side and protecting her.

 

It was a goddamn miracle that she had been able to trust him at all. He had repeatedly sworn to himself that he would always cherish the trust she had placed in him by first letting him be her first, and then marrying him. But now, the magnitude of her trust dawned on him with the clarification of her past, and it was so enormous that it humbled him. This was the main reason he was controlling his anger. It would be so easy to let his SJM side take over and have multiple men on the task of destroying Manav Bajaj. But he didn’t want to do that… He wanted to punish that man in a way that would be fitting to avenge his wife. He would still be using the resources that being SJM afforded him, but he wouldn’t be professional or distant to this destruction. It wasn’t a breached contract or defaulted payments this time… Manav Bajaj had laid his hand on his person, and he swore that he would have an active participation in his destruction.

 

As the clock struck six, Naina started to shift in his arms, and he felt worried about how she would react this morning. He was prepared to do anything to make her feel comfortable and safe. If she wanted to return to Mumbai, to their home, then he would do that. If she wanted to just stay in bed the whole day, he would lay by her side. If she wanted to speak more, he would listen. If she wanted to cry her heart out, he would lend a shoulder to her. He would readily do everything… The only thing he feared was her pulling back from him in the aftermath of such an emotional turbulence. Though last night it was her who had told him to not leave her, in the morning light he was concerned that she would leave him.

 

Naina drifted into consciousness, becoming aware of the sound of the tableside clock, a distant horn maybe from some vehicle. The blanket was warm, the body beside her warmer. She listened to the rapid heartbeats and knew that her husband was awake, but was still beside her, holding her to him just as she had asked. The way he again kept his promise shot a surge of warmth in her heart, and something in her lower belly melted causing a tingling sensation in her veins – like the feeling of coming down on a ferris-wheel, but she was not scared of it. She felt safe, warm and comfortable enough that she thought she could drift off to sleep again if she wanted. However, she became aware of another feeling in her stomach that was not related to Sameer, but rather to hunger. She remembered they had skipped dinner, and now her body and her baby were demanding food.

 

Tilting her head back to look at him properly, she smiled, “Good Morning.”

He exhaled in relief, and only then, she noticed how tightly wound up he had been. He had been lying stiff as if he had frozen in that position. Had he been worried about her reaction?

“Good Morning”, he replied, his eyes searching her face, for some reassurance she didn’t understand. After a moment, he cautiously asked, “tum theek ho?”

She considered his question, thinking about the incident from yesterday, how she had disassociated from reality on witnessing the eve-teasing, how she had been thankful that Sameer had been able to help the girl, how she had agreed to divulge everything about her past to him, how he had listened patiently to her. She drew back from his arms, and sat up slowly. He followed, reaching out but stopping just shy of touching her, his eyes clouded with some unknown emotion, as he whispered, “please… don’t go…”

She looked at him puzzled, “kya?”

He gulped, “I will do anything you want… dur mat jao wapas. I will not be able to tolerate it. Please…”

Her eyes softened with understanding. It wasn’t just she who had suffered abuse. He had as well… Maybe a different kind. Nevertheless, emotional abuse was just as traumatic as physical. She took his hand in hers, “main yahin hun Sameer. Kahin nahi jaa rahi.”

He closed his eyes, leaning against the headboard, and whispered, “sorry… mujhe tumhare liye strong rehna chahiye aur yahan main…”

“We can be strong for each other”, she assured, “main toh bas tumhare sawaal ka jawaab soch rahi thi.” He looked at her, and waited. She mused, “maine itne saalo se yeh sab andar dabake rakha tha. Kabhi kisiko kuch nahi bataya. Laga nahi ke koi saath dega. Tumko bhi pehle isiliye nahi bataya. Hamari shaadi ke din bhi mujhe aisa lag raha tha ke jis din tumhe sab pata chal jayega uss din tum afsos karoge mujhse shaadi karneke faisle pe… Aur main phirse akeli ho jaungi.”

He frowned, “why would I regret? Why would I leave you?”

She shrugged, “itna sab hua mere saath… aisi ladki ke saath kaun life spend karna chahega, jiske upar itna emotional baggage ho. Tumse shaadi karke bhi puri tarah se tumhari wife nahi ban saki. Parivaar me se koi support karne wala nahi hai… Naa sajti-savarti hun, na dhang ke kapde pehenti hun. Ideal wife jaisi koi baat nahi hai mujhme. Upar se shakal bhi kuch khaas nahi hai… Lekin mera past, mera parivaar hi sabse bada reason ho sakta hai for anyone to not want me.”

Sameer scowled, “well then… it’s good that I am not just anyone.” She looked puzzled, so he clarified, “maine kaha tha tumse ke I always wanted a forever kind of relationship. Lekin main itne saal unlucky raha… Meri kabhi koi expectation nahi thi kisi ladki ke baare me, apart from just one thing. I wanted someone who would accept me for who I am, someone who would be mine just because I am me.”

She nodded, “I don’t know what I want…”

“I will be whatever you want”, he said determinedly, “you chose me that night… And I will prove your choice was right.”

A small smile bloomed on her face and she started to say something, but just then her stomach rumbled, and her expressions turned embarrassed, “umm… humne dinner nahi kiya tha kal raat.”

He smirked, “I know… mujhe bhi bhuk lagi hai. Tum fresh ho jao pehle. Nahane ki zaroorat nahi hai abhi… Breakfast karneke baad naha lenge.”

 

Yesterday they had not been able to have breakfast in the hotel as they had to go to the temple. If they had stuck to the itinerary she had planned, today’s breakfast would also have been outside after seeing the sunrise from Victoria Memorial. But, things hadn’t gone as planned, and now they were in a restaurant on the first floor of the hotel. A staff member asked for their room number and then guided them to a table near a window. Sameer asked her if she would prefer to sit and he could bring some food, or if she would like to check out the buffet items. She had never been to a hotel like this before, so she was excited to see the buffet, and choose her own breakfast. He kept her shawl at the table, and then took her around. It was a sizable spread, ranging from idlis to puri and paratha, to poha and upma. There were also live counters churning out delicious omelettes and crispy dosa. She grabbed a couple of puris after she noticed they had that yummy chana dal which they ate yesterday near the temple, and she also requested for an omelette without chillies with one bread toast. Moving over to the other counter she spotted some fryums, why they were a part of the buffet she didn’t know, but she felt an incredible urge on seeing the colourful offering, so she quickly added a handful of them to her dish. Ignoring everything else, she moved to the table. Within a few minutes, Sameer came over with a dish loaded far more than hers. He quirked a brow at her meagre meal, and she hastily clarified, “omelette aur bread bhi liya hai… unn logo ne bola table pe de jayenge.”

He hummed, “still not enough sweetheart. Achcha hua maine paratha aur dosa bhi bola hai.”

“Main utna saara nahi kha paungi”, she whined.

He chuckled, “hum dono ke liye hai. Now eat… Chai bhi aa jayegi.”

 

After a scrumptious meal, in which Sameer had cajoled her to eat some fruits as well by promising her a chocolate pastry from the dessert section, they sat with tall glasses of water. Naina’s eyes wandered over to the cakes that lined the table a little bit away, and Sameer grinned, “I never knew ke tumhe cakes itne pasand hai.”

She sighed, “mujhe bhi nahi pata tha… Bachpan me kabhi khaya hoga. Hamare ghar pe cakes nahi aate the birthdays pe. Tauji ka kehna tha ke paise ki barbadi hai. Jab Pralay paida hua uske 5th birthday se cakes aane lage sirf uske birthday pe, lekin woh hum ghar ki ladkiyo ko nahi milta tha. Arjun bhaiya ko dete the aur Pralay ke dosto ko.”

He frowned, “Pralay kaun hai?”

“Tauji aur Taiji ka beta”, she answered, “kaafi minnato ke baad paida hua hai. Hum sabse chota hai.”

He quipped, “minnato baad mila beta aur uska naam Pralay rakha?”

She laughed, “nahi nahi… Uska naam Prateek hai. Lekin woh hamesha kuch na kuch gadbad karta rehta tha jo dusro ke liye musibat khadi kar deta tha… Jaise Arjun bhaiya ki chupai hui pehli love letter sabke saamne leke aa jaana, ya Preeti ki cream biscuit churane ka kissa sabko bata dena… Isiliye hum sabne uska naam Pralay rakh diya tha…”

He also laughed at that, “sounds interesting…”

She took a sip of water, “chale wapas room me? Aaj tumhe kaam ke liye jaana hai na.”

He glanced at his watch, “jaana toh tha… lekin soch raha hun cancel kar du. Tumhe akele chodke aaj kaise jau…”

“Kyun cancel karoge?” She objected, “I am perfectly fine. Tum apna kaam niptake aao. Phir shaam ko ghumne chalenge.”

He bit his lip, “actually… hum aaj 2pm ko check-out kar rahe hai… ”

She was surprised and disappointment flared within her, “check-out? Kolkata trip khatam?”

He shook his head, “nahi… trip khatam nahi hua. City se dur ek jagah jaa rahe hai hum log. It’s a surprise. Mera kaam bhi hai wahan, and I think you will like that place a lot.”

Her eyes shone, “surprise? Wow… Konsi jagah hai bataona.”

He chuckled, “surprise ka matlab samajhti ho sweetheart?”

She folded her arms, her pretty lips forming a pout that he wanted to kiss. She looked adorable. He kept smiling at her, and in just a few seconds, her pout turned into a smile, as she couldn’t contain the excitement of seeing another new place. She queried, “yahan sheher me tumhara aur kaam nahi hai?”

He informed, “aaj jo kaam hai bas utna hi… Lekin 2 din woh dusri jagah pe rehneke baad hum yahan wapas aayenge. Phir tumhare list me jo bhi pending hai sab ghumenge. Don’t worry at all.”

Her face lit up like sunshine and he blinked, amazed at the sight. He had never seen her so happy before. In that moment, he made one more vow to himself – he would take Naina on vacations several times in a year. It was obvious to him that she loved exploring new places and was a foodie at heart. It was easy to take her on business trips, but he would also plan out a few weeks where they could go on actual vacations that weren’t connected to business trips.

He wanted to bring up the topic of Manav and how to handle things at that end, but he also didn’t want to wipe the happiness from her face. Sighing to himself, he decided to let go of the topic for now, maybe they could discuss that when they went back to Mumbai. For now he asked, “are you sure ke main kaam ke liye jau? tum sach me theek ho?”

She stayed silent for a moment, once more reflecting and then nodded slowly, “surprisingly yes… main theek hun. Tumhe sab bata diya toh man halka ho gaya hai. I know ke hume aur baat karni hogi iss topic pe. Tumhare shayad kuch sawal bhi honge. But for now… I am okay… Main bas apne past ko peeche chodke aage badhna chahti hun… I am tired of being afraid all the time.”

He took her hand in his, linking their fingers, “there’s no need for you to be afraid of anyone or anything. I am here with you… Hamesha rahunga. And yes… We need to talk more, but that can wait. Abhi filhaal trip enjoy karte hai. Okay?”

She smiled, “okay.”

He checked the time once more, “chalo room me jaate hai. Main nahake nikal jaunga, aur lunch time tak wapas aa jaunga.”

She grabbed her shawl, and he was quickly by her side, helping her stand up. They walked to the lifts and he asked her what she would do while he was gone. She had no idea… So she tried to get the location out of him, “hum kahan jaa rahe bata do na… Toh main hotel walo se puchke ghumne ki jagah vagera decide karke rakhungi.”

As the lift door closed, he laughed at her antics, “uski tension mat lo tum… do din ki sab planning set hai.” She pouted again, glaring at him. Unable to resist the allure, he lifted a hand, cupping her face, his thumb tracing her lower lip. She froze, her eyes lifting to watch his dark gaze fixed on her lips. The last time he had looked like that was in the kitchen of their home last year, and he had kissed her then, her first kiss… She waited, wondering what he would do, quite lost in the moment… But before he could do anything, the elevator dinged… They had reached their floor. He closed his eyes for a second, gathering himself, and then stepped back, guiding her out. The disappointment that coursed through her body surprised her in its intensity. For a moment there she had been ready to be kissed, and the fact that they had lost that moment disappointed her.

 

Sameer took a quick shower, and then asked to take a bath while he was still there. He got dressed as he waited for her to finish her shower, and then looked up the hotel service book. As he had thought earlier, there was a spa inhouse, so he quickly checked the rates and kept the book open on the table. Once Naina came out, he asked, “tum kabhi spa me gai ho?”

She looked puzzled for a moment, “nahi… lekin magazine me dekha hai photo.”

“Hotel me hai”, he offered, “agar tumhe jaana ho toh.”

She immediately shook her head, “naa baba… sabke saamne bina kapdo ke mujhe nahi achcha lagega… sirf towel pehenne ko dete hai.”

His mouth fell open in shock, “what!?”

She nodded, “haan… tumne kabhi photos nahi dekhe?”

He chortled, “oh darling… it’s not like that. Full body massage ya koi treatment lo tab sirf towel hota hai. Aur uss time pe private room me hota hai yeh sab, kisi aur ke saamne nahi.”

“Oh”, she blurted, mortified at her lack of knowledge.

He flicked her nose with the tip of his finger, “lekin mera matlab massage se nahi tha. I was wondering if you wanted some girl time… you know… pampering yourself…”

She bit her lip, her cheeks still red from embarrassment, “umm… mujhe pata nahi… main Mumbai aaneke baad sirf parlors gai hun, threading aur waxing karvane. Kaafi time se toh woh bhi nahi kiya.”

“I guessed”, he gently said, “how about you go while I am out for work… Waxing, Threading, manicure-pedicure, and maybe foot massage. Agar head massage aur hair wash karwana hai toh woh bhi…”

She looked down at her bare nails, evenly cut, but unpolished, the cuticles slightly dry from the cold weather. It would be good to have some clean-up done, and foot massage sounded like heaven. Taking a deep breath she nodded, “okay. kahan jaana hoga mujhe?”

He smiled, “wait… let me book it for you.”

Dialing the number given in the book, he quickly scheduled an appointment under the name of Mrs. Naina Maheshwari, and listed off the services, also adding a warning about his wife being pregnant hence there should be extra care taken. He explained to Naina that the spa was located on the second floor, and her appointment started in 30 minutes. “Take the key card with you”, he added as he grabbed his bag, “relax and enjoy… Hotel ke phone se mujhe phone karna kuch zaroorat ho toh. I will be back by 12:30pm and then we can eat, pack and check-out.” She smiled at him asking him to take care and wished him the best for his work; in return he dropped a quick kiss on her forehead before finally moving out of the room.

 

While Sameer was out doing whatever work he needed to do, Naina had an amazing time at the spa. At first she had been hesitant, shy even to state her name, the luxury of the atmosphere making her feel small and insignificant. But the woman assigned to her was so warm and friendly that she didn’t even realize when she started to relax and talk. Malti was working with the hotel spa since last three years, and the first thing she mentioned was about having received Mr. Maheshwari’s warning about taking care of his wife. Naina had blushed and mentioned that it was because of her pregnancy, and Malti had congratulated her with a smile, saying she had a four year old son at home. It felt so wonderful to just let her mind float and have capable hands take care of her. Her skin felt baby soft and smooth after being waxed and massaged with a lotion, her eyebrows were now shaped and defined, her upperlips and chin threaded to get rid of errant hair. She sat with a cooling sheet mask on her face and cucumber slices on her eyes, her feet propped on an ottoman as Malti applied sweet smelling oil on her legs and massaged with a firm hand. She almost moaned aloud when her calf was kneaded in downward strokes, and the balls of her feet pressed with thumbs. Gods… Maybe she would ask Sameer to learn this foot massage style, because the one thing that was annoying her the most in this pregnancy was how her feet were always throbbing with pain, and were mostly swollen making it impossible for her to walk or stand for more time. She was given fresh orange juice after her waxing was done, and now the girl who came over to oil and massage her head, offered a small cup of green tea and a handful of mixed nuts. She asked Malti if her hair could be trimmed as well, and received enthusiastic advice on how a layer cut would suit her face. Now she sat in-front of the mirror, her hair washed, cut and styled to fall in perfect layers, the shorter front layers framing her face. As Malti dusted off her neck and shoulders, she smiled, wondering about her husband’s reaction when he would see her.

“Ab sirf manicure and pedicure baaki hai”, Malti smiled, “bathroom break chahiye?”

Naina nodded instantly and was helped down from the chair. A quick break later, she was seated in a comfortable chair, suckling on a mango candy as Malti and the other girl, Reena, worked on her nails. Reena had already filed her finger nails, and was now scrubbing her fingers. Malti meanwhile cut her toenails as short as possible, all the while talking about how difficult it would get to even see her own feet as her pregnancy progressed, but that didn’t mean she should leave her feet unattended. She was advised to ask that overprotective husband of hers to learn how to cut nails and apply polish. Naina giggled uncontrollably as Malti scrubbed the soles of her feet, and sighed in relief when it was over. A selection of colors was lined in-front of her, and she chose cherry red.

While her nails dried, Malti sat with her, and Naina took the chance to ask about restaurants and places to visit to make sure that whatever she had planned was okay. Another staff member knocked, letting them know that Mr. Maheshwari was back and waiting for his wife in the lobby, but had asked her to take her time and not rush. Her face brightened, her eyes moving to the clock to see it was indeed 12:30pm already, and she had not even realized where the time had gone.

It was 12:45pm by the time her nails were deemed completely dry, and Malti applied cuticle oil, rubbing it gently in the area surrounding her nails, and then guided her out. As she wore her sandals and thanked the staff, Malti sneaked a handful of mango candies to her, saying it was good to have something sour to suck on while traveling in her condition. Naina thanked her profusely and kept the candies in her purse. Walking to the lobby, she scanned the people sitting around, and immediately spotted Sameer, seated on a high backed chair, typing away on his mobile. She moved towards him, and when she was ten paces away, he looked up… His eyes widened, and mouth opened in a small O… She grinned, loving his reaction to her looks, especially when he looked so good all the time. He stood up and quickly strode over to her, immediately wrapping an arm around her waist, “my sweetheart… you look stunning…”

She blushed, and then immediately showed off her hand, “dekho… cherry red color.”

He grabbed the offered hand with his free one, and smacked a kiss on her fingers, “delicious… so sweet.”

Her lilting laughter surrounded them, “flirt…”

He smirked, “only for you darling… What’s this haircut called? It looks fabulous… Aur baki sab kaisa raha… mazaa aaya?”

She immediately regaled him with the tale of her spa experience in detail, as he picked up his bag from the chair and then guided them to the restaurant in the lobby. Upon knowing that she was given nuts to snack on and even green tea, he immediately decided to leave a nice tip for the lady who had attended to her. The lunch was a light meal of rice and egg curry, along with something called as beguni, that was marked as one of the recommended items on the menu, and it turned out to be brinjal pakodas. Until he took the first bite he had no idea that brinjals could be turned into pakodas, he had only ever eaten potato, onion and paneer pakodas.

 

Given they hadn’t unpacked everything, the repacking didn’t take much time. He had already arranged for the items they had bought to be kept at Barun’s home for the time being, and they would be shipped later just before they left Kolkata. Just a little before 2pm they checked-out of the hotel, and Sameer arranged for their second time stay as well, blocking the same room they had been living in. The car was waiting for them already, and Barun greeted Naina warmly. Both the men were surprised, when just after sitting in the car Naina started asking questions, but Barun answered each one of them patiently.

 

“Humne beguni khaya Barunji. Kya sach me woh famous hai?”

“Jee madam… It’s common… Everyone makes it at home, but it is also special in a way. Bengali shaadi me ek din beguni zaroor banta hai. Aur shaadi wale season me market me special begun aata hai. Bade Bade… Ekdum lamba. They are more expensive… Shaadi o me usise pakoda banate hai. Hamare Bengali me use ‘ek haath beguni’ kehte hai.Matlab ek haath jitna lamba.”

“Wow… Aur koi pakode famous hai yahan?”

“Haan… Bengali logo ko telebhaja, yaane pakoda bahot pasand hai. Idhar potol ka, cauliflower ka, pumpkin ka, sabka pakoda banta hai… Kisi kisi green vegetable ka pakoda bhi banta hai, jaise paat pata, matlab jute leaf.”

“Potol matlab?”

“Umm… Mujhe english yaad nahi aa raha… dhundke bataunga baad me.”

“Okay… Yeh sab telebhaja ka koi recipe de sakta hai kya? Mujhe seekhna hai banana.”

“Main maa ko bolunga woh likh dega… Phir main English me translate karke sir ko de dega.”

“Mujhe aaj kisine bahot saare bengali items ke naam bataye… mujhe sab try karna hai. Kosha mangsho, paturi, aloo r chop, vegetable chop, chicken lollipop. Aapko pata hai sab kahan milega?”

“Aap mutton khata hai madam?”

“Nahi… Sirf chicken aur fish khaya hai ab tak…”

“Kosha mangsho yaane mutton hota hai. Lekin kisi kisi restaurant me kosha chicken bhi milta hai. Main sab restaurants ka list ready rakhunga.”

“Mujhe ek-do pata hai… Book me padha tha… 6 Ballygunje place… Aur dusra shayad Mocambo.”

“Dono hi bahot famous hai. 6 Ballygunje place ekdum proper bengali food banata hai. Mocambo me british time ka thoda influence hai. Umm… Kal park street me sir ne wahin dinner plan kiya tha.”

“Oh… we missed it. Park street me bahot saare famous restaurants hai?”

“Haan…Mocambo, Peter Cat, Flurrys. Lekin Mocambo sabse purana hai.”

“Hum abhi kahan jaa rahe hai? Wahan bhi famous restaurants hai kya?”

“Udhar toh…”

“Barun… Bas” An interruption by Sameer, who had noticed his wife’s tactic.

Barun immediately apologized, and Naina pouted, huffing at her unsuccessful attempt. Sameer chided her, “smart… but not enough.”

She shrugged, feigning nonchalance, “main toh bas dekh rahi thi ke tumhara dhyan merepe hai ke nahi.”

“Oh really”, he drawled, “you don’t need to worry at all darling… mera dhyan hamesha tumpe rehta hai.”

She blushed, but stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed, his heart warming on seeing her so carefree and happy.

 

Naina asked if they could call Nanu, and Sameer agreed. The next fifteen minutes was spent catching up with his grandfather, who seemed to be delighted that Sameer had planned a surprise for her. He called it their honeymoon, to which Naina blushed furiously, and Sameer laughed saying if his wife wanted he could take her on honeymoon every month. After that Naina fell asleep, snuggled against Sameer, her head on his shoulder. He covered her with a shawl so that the AC, though low, wouldn’t feel cold to her. When it was just after 4pm, Barun guided the car at a highway exit, parking in-front of a sprawling complex. Sameer woke Naina up. She yawned, “pahonch gaye hum log?”

He shook his head, “nahi… halt hai… bathroom jaane ke liye. Aur chai vagera peena ho toh.”

Now that the word had been uttered, Naina did really need to go to the bathroom. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she got down from the car, and Sameer immediately took her hand. After a quick use of the facilities, and feeling decidedly less groggy after splashing cold water on her face, she told Sameer that she was hungry. He had an amused indulgent expression on his face as he guided her back to the front where all the shops were.

 

Sameer, though slightly reluctant, allowed her to have a cup of tea as it was starting to get cold, and Naina said she had a slight headache. The tea at breakfast was also a small cup, while at home the morning tea Naina usually had was in a bigger coffee mug, so he decided some days two cups is fine for the trip. He would still ask Dr. Suchitra later when he had some time. For snacks, Barun managed to get them some of the famous vegetable chop that Naina had been talking about, and a small paper bag of puffed rice. He disappeared again, and came back with another dish containing three small samosas, and two more paper bags of puffed rice.

Naina peeked into the paper bag, “murmure?”

Barun nodded, “telebhaja ke saath muri khate hai. Tasty lagta hai aur oil absorb ho jaata hai.”

They assumed muri meant puffed rice. Sameer queried, “aur yeh samosa? Yeh bhi famous hai?”

Barun smiled, “waise toh sab region me samose alag alag hi taste ka banta hai. Lekin Bengal me winter ke samay yeh special samose bante hai… Cauliflower wale… Phulkopir Singara kehte hai ise..”

Delighted at being able to try new delicacies, Naina watched how Barun ate and then copied him. Sameer felt foolish, but still followed their actions, popping a bit of puffed rice in his mouth and then taking a bite into the hot samosa. He did it two more times before begrudgingly accepting that somehow the murmure managed to enhance the flavor of the samosa rather than making it taste weird. The samosa was a bit sweet, but there was crunch from the peanuts, and the sharp flavor of fried cauliflower was a surprise. The vegetable chop was sweeter, because there was beetroot inside it, but the sweetness didn’t deviate from the taste or flavor. It was absolutely delicious, and judging from the moan his wife let out, he understood that she agreed with his opinion. The tea was once again served in small kulhad, it was hot, mildly sweet and he could taste the ginger in it.

 

Naina declared that all the food items in Kolkata were extremely delicious, and asked Sameer that they needed to have the vegetable chop once more before leaving. He nodded, happy to indulge all her demands, being absolutely charmed by the smile on her face. It felt like he was getting to know the school-time Naina once again. The one who had no worries in her life, and saw the good in everyone. Would it have been like this if he had been able to get his head out of his own ass and make friends with her when they were teenagers? But then again, she had told him about her crush on him, so maybe even if they had been friends, she wouldn’t behave like this… This time was different… It wasn’t a teenage crush. It was love, trust, and both their characters had been forged in the fire of pain and betrayal. No, it definitely wouldn’t have been the same at sixteen; this was better.

 

It was already dark outside, the sunset being earlier in winters, and  weather was decidedly colder than it was in the city. Naina wrapped her arms around herself, “wow… thandi zyada hai yahan.”

Sameer pulled her to him as they walked to the car, “haan… city se bahar aa gaye toh thand zyada hogi.”

She queried, “hum kisi gaanv me jaa rahe hai? Tumhara woh rural women wala programme…”

He grinned at her, “my smart wifey… village keh sakte ya chota town. Lekin haan, itna developed nahi hai.”

“Naam bhi bata do ab”, she fluttered her lashes at him.

He chuckled, shaking his head as he opened the car door and helped her in. Leaning inside after her, he whispered in her ear, “Surprise kharab mat karo mera… let me take care of you my wifey.”

Her breath hitched, her hands clasped on her lap, fingers fidgeting, and she gulped hard enough that it was audible to him. Enchanted by the effect he had on her, he placed a soft kiss against her temple, and then withdrew. Naina bit her lips, her eyes shining, cheeks flushed and she leaned back in the seat, somehow extremely happy with how her heart thundered and butterflies fluttered in her belly. This was the stuff she read in books… Romance… The anticipation… Her husband was romancing her, and she decided she would let him. It didn’t matter that they were already married and were about to have a child, this felt like dating, and she suddenly looked forward to every bit of the surprise he had planned for her.

 

Thirty minutes into the drive, the road turned extremely bumpy, and Naina felt as if the evening snacks were vying with each other to come out of her body through her mouth. Barun had reduced the speed so much that they were decidedly crawling, but still it didn’t ease her. Sameer kept rubbing her back, keeping a polybag ready just in case she suddenly puked, her distress disturbing him.

 

After a while, he opened the windows a bit, and Naina leaned back once more, her breathing slightly easy. She closed her eyes, willing herself to relax, mentally chanting a Ganesh mantra to distract herself from the nausea. Sameer kept a firm hold on her hand, his face pinched with worry, as his eyes flicked between her and the road ahead, as if somehow the distance would reduce just with his determination. It took about an hour, but finally he sighed in relief on spotting the village lights ahead, and Barun also confirmed that they were almost there. These words made Naina sit up, her eyes darting outside to check her surroundings. The roads were slightly less bumpy, both sides lined with houses and small shops, most of them closed. It was another ten minutes before they stopped in-front of iron gates, a sprawling courtyard surrounded by the house on three sides, warm yellow lights flooding the verandah, making the shadows further seem even darker.

 

Naina looked at him, “yeh toh koi hotel nahi hai.”

He shook his head, “nahi… guest house jaisa hai. Lekin it’s booked only for us for 2 days, koi aur guests nahi hai. Anyways it’s a small one… They only had 4 rooms, aur usme se ek me host ka family rehta hai already.”

She accepted his help in getting down, and asked, “ab toh bata do jagah ka naam.”

He laughed, “well… parso mandir gaye the na… Wahan ke priest ka name yaad hai…? Famous wale jo the.”

“Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa”, she obediently replied.

He smiled, “yeh gaanv unka birthplace hai…”

She gasped in delight… Her face lit up with suffused joy and she almost crashed into him in an enthusiastic hug that he immediately returned. He had known about her interest in the history of the temple, and somehow by luck his business requirement of this trip lined up with her interest. He just had to make some additional changes to the original itinerary after coming to Kolkata, which thankfully Aman had managed to get done in record time as always. He was sure that now Naina would enjoy these two days much more than before. He was really looking forward to it. Everything in the world could wait, right now, on this trip, he decided to pamper and spoil his wife so much that as soon as they went back to Mumbai she would be the one to ask or plan for another trip. That was his aim… And Sameer Jaiprakash Maheshwari had never failed in achieving what he aimed.